VAR Would Have Cancelled Casemiro’s Goal – Mourinho

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said a video review would have cancelled Real Madrid’s opening goal and led to extra time in the UEFA Super Cup on Tuesday.

United lost the game 2-1 after goals from Casemiro and Isco gave Madrid a two-goal advantage before Romelu Lukaku got a goal back with his first competitive goal for his new club.

But Mourinho disagreed with Casemiro’s opener, saying that had a video assistant referee (VAR) been watching outside the pitch in Skopje, Macedonia, the result would have been different with the Brazilian’s goal ruled out for offside.

“I think we did well, I think we lost to one goal which shows the result was really short and one of their goals was an offside,” Mourinho told BT Sport. “With a good VAR system it would be 1-1 and extra-time.”

“The domination is the consequence of quality of a team that is superior, that has great quality players in midfield that control the game, that hold the ball, that keep possession,” he said. “They touch the ball well, they pass it very well. It is a consequence of that.”

“We were playing a team full of fantastic players, we discussed the result until almost the end,” Mourinho told BT. “I say almost the end because with Cristiano Ronaldo coming on, because every time Ronaldo wanted a free kick the game was stopped.”

“I am happy with the performance or many things of the performance,” he said. “We don’t have in the Premier League Real Madrid. In spite we have top teams in the Premier League, but they are different teams — teams with different qualities.

“The midfield players of Real Madrid there are only one, there are no replicas. “No replicas of [Luka] Modric, Toni Kroos, Isco, no replicas of Casimero, so they are really solid and the way they move the ball makes it difficult for the opponents.

“In the second half we found a way to create them difficulties and to give them the kind of football they don’t like and don’t dominate.

“I am really happy with our reaction because at 2-0, the next minute we have a double big chance with just Navas in front. And after the 2-1, we had Marcus Rashford face-to-face with the keeper and we had a fight until the last seconds and to do that I think is great because I always say that the Champions League is one thing and the Europa League is another thing.

“The Champions League winner obviously has a different potential than the Europa League winner, so for us to come here and to do the positive things we did, I think we have to go with a good feeling and we have to start the Premier League on Sunday with a positive feeling and great experience.

“And going to the Champions League in September, who knows? If we get Real Madrid again, if we don’t we could get another of the top teams in Europe — one of the champions of the best leagues — and I think this Super Cup was a really good experience for us.”